“Dry January”, a month of awareness to learn how to reduce consumption
January is the month of good resolutions: stop spending too much during the sales, see friends more often, but also reduce or even completely stop our alcohol consumption, especially after a drunken end-of-year celebration.
Supported by associations and health actors, the “Dry January” meets many followers every year throughout Europe. Beyond the personal reasons that lead to quitting, doctors highlight the many benefits of “Dry January” on the body, in the short and long term. Here are a few.
Did you know ? About 10% of French people would participate in “Dry January”
- The “Dry January” allows you to sleep better
Do you feel like you can fall asleep more easily after drinking alcohol? This is completely normal ! Moreover, your sleep is not restorative: alcohol plays on our natural sleep cycle and strongly disrupts it. Finally, certainly you fall asleep more easily, but you wake up tired the next day, even after 8 hours of sleep.
- The “Dry January” helps you regain energy and feel better every day
And yes, “Dry January” is also a good way to start the year in good shape and stay focused at all times! After 30 days without having drunk a single drop of alcohol, you regain energy, lucidity and even a better memory. Indeed, the consumption of alcohol plays on these factors in the long term, and these effects can be avoided by ceasing to consume it.
In addition, alcohol consumption weakens our immune system, making us more susceptible to catching a virus or bacteria. By ceasing to drink alcohol, you ensure faster healing of wounds or certain illnesses.
- The “Dry January” reduces the risk of serious illnesses
We know it: alcohol promotes a large number of cardiac, vascular and digestive pathologies. It is actually very bad for certain organs, such as the liver, the stomach or the brain for example.
By measuring the impact of four weeks of abstinence on 102 heavy drinkers (4 to 5 glasses a day), the British doctor Kevin Moore noted in his patients a reduction of 15 to 20% in liver fat (the fat that can cause cirrhosis). In addition, the doctor noted a 28% drop in insulin resistance: after a month without alcohol, the patients’ pancreas managed the sugar level more easily, which reduced their risk of diabetes.
Did you know ? According to Inserm (National Institute of Health and Medical Research), alcohol is responsible for more than 200 diseases. Causing more than 40,000 deaths each year.
- The “Dry January” helps to lose weight
By stopping your alcohol consumption, you will surely lose weight. We know that alcoholic beverages are often high in calories. In addition, alcohol increases hunger: on average, people who have consumed alcohol ingest 30% more food than a sober person!
- The “Dry January” improves digestion
Alcohol has deleterious effects on our intestinal flora, which plays an essential role in digestion. This intestinal flora must be balanced in order to avoid experiencing digestive problems. When this flora is not balanced, it can cause sugar cravings, skin problems or chronic fatigue.
- The “Dry January” makes it possible to have more beautiful skin
By reducing or even stopping your alcohol consumption, you will avoid redness and rashes. Indeed, alcohol dehydrates and impacts the oil levels of the skin. Thus, by respecting “Dry January”, your skin will not only be more hydrated, but the risk of skin inflammation such as eczema will be reduced!
- A way to permanently stop using
On average, the brain needs 21 days to integrate a habit. By drastically reducing your alcohol consumption, you will have a better chance of stopping your overall consumption. Effectively, “ Six or eight months after ‘Dry January’, the proportion of people who drink at dangerous levels has dropped by 50%. Participating may have enabled them to start afresh in their relationship with alcohol”details doctor Gautam Mehta with the BBC.
BONUS:
Let’s add that quitting drinking is also good for your finances. For example, if you buy a bottle for 10 euros every other day, you save 150 euros! A considerable budget.
Drinking in moderation: a way to be in shape all year round
Finally, be aware that “Dry January” does not give permission to consume alcohol excessively all the rest of the year. At first, all your efforts will be canceled (you regain weight for example), but health problems will inevitably recommend to develop. A tip: drink, but moderately, that is to say no more than 10 glasses in the week. You will thus see your general state of health improve, and this in the long term.
Would you like to be helped in this process?
31 days without alcohol, it’s possible! It is even a very nice step towards total abstinence. So to help you in this process, very difficult at first, turn to your general practitioner or consult the site DryJanuary.fr
LR